Standardization of personal connected health with Continua

New technology can help to improve health and care services and give people the opportunity to manage their own lives. To ensure that different solutions work together, the Norwegian Government introduces the standardization framework Continua on technology for personal connected health in Norway.

- Personal connected health is an important issue for the Norwegian Government. New technology can provide improved quality of life to more people and help them to stay longer in their own homes. Common standards will provide health care sector and industry with a clearer framework for development and procurement of technology, says the Norwegian Minister of Health Bent Høie.

- The industry is important to solve future challenges in healthcare. Healthcare is a market that is growing and gives many opportunities for Norwegian companies. It is good both for those who need help and for the business that the industry is involved in a good way, says the Norwegian Minister of Trade Monica Mæland.

Continua will ensure that various technology solutions are communicating with each other across municipalities, health institutions and suppliers. The framework has many stakeholders internationally and all the Nordic countries considering association with Continua. Common standards and frameworks will help us making better solutions for municipalities and citizens, and give more predictable market for the industry.

- Municipalities have the main responsibility for providing high quality health care services to the entire population. Good solutions for personal connected health make both the residents and municipal employees feeling safer. Now it will be easier for both municipalities and each inhabitant to choose good solutions that create a better life, says the Norwegian Minister of Municipal and Modernization Jan Tore Sanner.

The work is included in the national program for the introduction and implementation of personal connected health whose primary aim is that personal connected health will be an integrated part of the health care by 2020. The Norwegian Parliament has therefore allocated about 65 million Norwegian kroner for testing and introduction of personal connected health in 2015.